NHL Opportunities

College hockey is making a bigger impact in the National Hockey League than ever before, and it's visible at every turn.

Nightly highlights are filled with dazzling plays from former college players like Zach Parise and Jonathan Quick. Cover stories in The Hockey News and features on Hockey Night in Canada spotlight the efforts of players like Ryan Kesler and Johnny Gaudreau. Talented rookies like Jack Eichel, Dylan Larkin, Colton Parayko and Shayne Gostisbehere are making immediate impacts in the league.

A record 305 former college players skated in the NHL in 2013-14, comprising 31% of the league. That number was just 20% at the turn of the century.

College hockey, in short, is the fastest growing development path for the NHL.

Just 10 years ago, just one in five NHLers had a college background. Growth since then has been remarkable, and should continue. In the last eight years, 36% of NHL debuts have been by former college hockey players.

NHL front offices are filled with general managers, assistant general managers and scouts who played the college game. Head coaches and assistant coaches in the league have college backgrounds.

NHL Drafts have featured an average of more than 60 current or future college players in the last 13 years, and teams continue to scour the NCAA ranks for free agent signees as well. The 2015 NHL Draft featured three current NCAA players among the top 10 selections for the first time in history.

Once a hidden gem of hockey talent, college hockey has become one of the biggest suppliers of talent to the NHL, surpassing all Europe.